List of lakes by area explained

This is a pair of lists of terrestrial lakes with a surface area of more than approximately 3000km2, ranked by area,^{[1] [2] [3]} excluding reservoirs and lagoons.

The area of some lakes can vary considerably over time, either seasonally or from year to year. This is especially true of salt lakes in arid climates.This list therefore excludes seasonal lakes such as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre (maximum area 9500km2), Mar Chiquita Lake (Córdoba) (maximum area 6000km2), Lake Torrens (maximum area 5745km2) and Great Salt Lake (maximum area, 1988, 8500km2).

The list is divided in two: all lakes as conventionally defined down to 3000km2, and the largest lakes under a geological definition, where the Caspian Sea is considered a small ocean rather than a lake, and Lake Michigan–Huron (or "Huron–Michigan") is recognized as a single body of water. The Caspian Sea is conventionally considered the world's largest lake, but it is centered on an oceanic basin (a fragment of the ancient Tethys Ocean) rather than lying entirely over continental crust as all other lakes do.^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [8]} Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are conventionally counted as separate lakes, but hydrologically they are a single body of water, which is the world's largest lake by surface area.^{[9] [10] [11] [12] [13]}

Conventional list

Following are conventionally identified lakes larger than 3000km2 in area.

class=unsortable	Thumbnail, at fixed scale		Name	Countries with shoreline	Type	Area	Length	depth	Volume	Notes
		Caspian Sea		Saline 1.2%	NaNkm2	1199km (745miles)	1025m (3,363feet)	78200km3	Geologically a small ocean rather than a lake. Garabogazköl lagoon, if counted separately, would rank as the world's 15th largest, with an area of 18000km2.
		Superior		Fresh	82100km2	616km (383miles)	406m (1,332feet)	12070km3	Largest of the Great Lakes by volume, having more water than the other four combined.^[14]
		Victoria		Fresh	59940km2	322km (200miles)	81m (266feet)	2420km3	The largest lake by area in Africa.^[15]
		Huron		Fresh	59590km2	332km (206miles)	229m (751feet)	3520km3	The larger lobe of Lake Michigan–Huron. Contains Manitoulin Island, the world's largest lake island.^[16]
		Michigan		Fresh	58030km2^[17]	494km (307miles)	282m (925feet)	4930km3	The smaller lobe of Lake Michigan–Huron. The largest lake (by area) that is located entirely in one country.
		Tanganyika		Fresh	32900km2	676km (420miles)	1470m (4,820feet)	18750km3	Longest freshwater lake in the world and third largest of any kind by volume.^[18]
		Baikal		Fresh	31722km2	636km (395miles)	1642m (5,387feet)	23610km3	Deepest lake in the world and largest freshwater lake in the world by volume.^[19]
		Great Bear Lake		Fresh	31153km2	373km (232miles)	446m (1,463feet)	2234km3	Largest lake entirely within Canada,^[20] and the largest lake partially within the Arctic Circle
		Malawi		Fresh	29600km2	579km (360miles)	706m (2,316feet)	8640km3	Has more species of fish than any other lake in the world.^[21]
		Great Slave Lake		Fresh	27200km2	480km (300miles)	614m (2,014feet)	1115km3	Deepest lake in North America^[22]
		Erie		Fresh	25667km2	388km (241miles)	64m (210feet)	488km3	Has the smallest volume of the Great Lakes.
		Winnipeg		Fresh	24514km2	425km (264miles)	36m (118feet)	294km3	Very large catchment area compared to own size. No other great lake has that ratio.
		Ontario		Fresh	18970km2	311km (193miles)	244m (801feet)	1631km3	The lowest lying of the Great Lakes.
		Ladoga		Fresh	17700km2	219km (136miles)	260m (850feet)	837km3	Largest lake in Europe.^[23]
		Balkhash		Saline 0.3% (variable)	16400km2	605km (376miles)	26m (85feet)	100km3	Fresh shallow western part. Salty deeper eastern part. Shrinking in size.
		Vostok		Fresh	12500km2	250km (160miles)	900m (3,000feet)	5400+/-	Largest lake in Antarctica, but subglacial.
		Onega		Fresh	9700km2	245km (152miles)	127m (417feet)	291km3	Second-largest lake in Europe.
		Titicaca		Fresh	8372km2	177km (110miles)	281m (922feet)	896km3	Highest navigable lake in the world. Greatest mountain lake too. Largest lake in South America.
		Nicaragua		Fresh	8264km2	177km (110miles)	26m (85feet)	110km3	Largest lake in Central America. Contains fresh water sharks .
		Athabasca		Fresh	7850km2	335km (208miles)	124m (407feet)	204km3	A remnant of the vast, Glacial Lake McConnell. Huge catchment area (ratio).
		Reindeer		Fresh	6650km2	245km (152miles)	219m (719feet)	113km3	The deepest areas are the site of a large meteorite impact, for almost 100 million years ago. Much older than the lake.
		Turkana		Saline 0.25% (approx.)	6405km2	248km (154miles)	109m (358feet)	193km3	Largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake.^[24]
		Issyk-Kul		Saline 0.6%	6236km2	182km (113miles)	668m (2,192feet)	1736km3	Second largest mountain lake in the world. Second deepest saline lake as well.
		Vänern		Fresh	5650km2	140km (90miles)	106m (348feet)	153km3	Largest lake in the European Union.
		Albert		Fresh	5590km2^[25]	161km (100miles)	51m (167feet)	133km3
		Nettilling		Fresh	5542km2	113km (70miles)	132m (433feet)	130km3	Largest lake on an island; Baffin Island.^[26]
		Winnipegosis		Fresh	5370km2	245km (152miles)	12m (39feet)	17.2km3	Second largest lake in Manitoba.
		Mweru		Fresh	5120km2	131km (81miles)	27m (89feet)	38km3	The second largest lake in the Congo's drainage basin, Tanganyika being the largest.
		Nipigon		Fresh	4848km2	116km (72miles)	165m (541feet)	266km3	Largest lake entirely in Ontario. Part of the Great Lake drainage basin. Often referred to as the, "sixth" or "seventh" lake, together with St. Clair.
		Manitoba		Saline 0.35%	4706km2	225km (140miles)	7m (23feet)	14.1km3	A remnant of the prehistoric, Glacial Lake Agassiz together with: Winnipeg and Winnipegosis.
		Taymyr		Fresh	4560km2	250km (160miles)	26m (85feet)	12.8km3	Largest lake entirely within the Arctic Circle.
		Qinghai		Saline 1.4% (variable)	4489sortable=onNaNsortable=on (2007)		32.8m (107.6feet)	108km3	Largest lake in China. Variable in size. Endorheic basin.
		Saimaa		Fresh	4380sortable=onNaNsortable=on		82m (269feet)	36km3	Largest catchment area of the lakes within the Nordic countries.
		Lake of the Woods		Fresh	4350sortable=onNaNsortable=on	110km (70miles)	64m (210feet)	19.4km3	About 15 000 islands. The shoreline measures (included these) roughly: 105 000 km.
		Khanka		Fresh	4190sortable=onNaNsortable=on	90km (60miles)	10.6m (34.8feet)	18.3km3	Has a shape like a pear. Variable size. Drains through the Amur River, that ends in the Sea of Japan.
		Sarygamysh		Saline 1.15% (approx.)	3955sortable=onNaNsortable=on	125km (78miles)	40m (130feet)	68.56km3	Located about midway between the Caspian Endorheic basin and former Aral Sea. No drainage river today. Drained centuries ago to the Caspian Sea (Uzboy River). Polluted.
		Dubawnt		Fresh	3833sortable=onNaNsortable=on			91km3	Frozen surface 10 months each year. No permanent settlements on its shores.
		Van		Saline 2.3%	3755sortable=onNaNsortable=on	119km (74miles)	451m (1,480feet)	642km3	Largest lake in the Middle East. Third deepest saline lake.
		Peipus		Fresh	3555sortable=onNaNsortable=on		15.3m (50.2feet)	25km3	Largest trans-boundary lake in Europe.
		Uvs	Mongolia	Saline 1.9% (approx.)	3350sortable=onNaNsortable=on	84km (52miles)	22m (72feet)	20km3	Greatest lake in Mongolia (by area). Very large catchment area (endorheic).
		North Aral Sea		Variable: from 0.9 to 1.2%	3300sortable=onNaNsortable=on		42m (138feet)	28.7km3	Largest remnant of the former, Aral Sea. Once the world's fourth largest lake.
		Poyang		Fresh	3210sortable=onNaNsortable=on	170km (110miles)	25.1m (82.3feet)	25.2km3	Largest fresh water lake in China. Variable size. Important location for the birdlife.
		Tana		Fresh	3200sortable=onNaNsortable=on	84km (52miles)	15m (49feet)	25.6km3	The source of the Blue Nile.
		Amadjuak		Fresh	3115sortable=onNaNsortable=on			74km3	In geological terms, a "young" lake (approx. 4 500 years old). Second largest on Baffin Island. Third largest in Nunavut.
		Melville		Saline 1.95% (approx. average of surface and bottom water)	3069sortable=onNaNsortable=on	140km (90miles)	256m (840feet)	313km3	Estuary connected with the Atlantic Ocean. Large drainage basin in the Labrador.
		Bangweulu		Fresh	3000km2 (permanent)	75km (47miles)	10m (30feet)	12km3	One of the world's great wetland systems. The area has swamps and floodplain. Variable size on this shallow lake. Crucial importance for animals and birds, of a far larger area.

Source for the 20 largest lakes (and their areas):^[27]

Geological list

Following are the dozen largest lakes under geological definitions, down to 17500km2 in area.

class=unsortable	Thumbnail, at fixed scale		Name	Countries with shoreline	Type	Area	Length	depth	Volume	Notes
		Michigan–Huron		Fresh	117620km2	710km (440miles)	282m (925feet)	8450km3	Contains Manitoulin Island, the world's largest lake island.
		Superior		Fresh	82100km2	616km (383miles)	406m (1,332feet)	12070km3	Largest of the Great Lakes by volume, having more water than the other four combined.
		Victoria		Fresh	59940km2	322km (200miles)	81m (266feet)	2420km3	The largest lake by area in Africa.
		Tanganyika		Fresh	32900km2	676km (420miles)	1470m (4,820feet)	18750km3	Second-largest lake by volume and second longest.
		Baikal		Fresh	31722km2	636km (395miles)	1642m (5,387feet)	23610km3	Deepest lake in the world and largest by volume.
		Great Bear Lake		Fresh	31153km2	373km (232miles)	446m (1,463feet)	2234km3	Largest lake entirely within Canada,^[28] and the largest lake partially within the Arctic Circle
		Malawi		Fresh	29500km2	579km (360miles)	706m (2,316feet)	8640km3	Has more species of fish than any other lake in the world.
		Great Slave Lake		Fresh	27200km2	480km (300miles)	614m (2,014feet)	1115km3	Deepest lake in North America
		Erie		Fresh	25667km2	388km (241miles)	64m (210feet)	488km3	Has the smallest volume of the Great Lakes.
		Winnipeg		Fresh	24514km2	425km (264miles)	36m (118feet)	294km3	Very large catchment area compared to own size. No other great lake has that ratio.
		Ontario		Fresh	18970km2	311km (193miles)	244m (801feet)	1631km3	The lowest lying of the Great Lakes.
		Ladoga		Fresh	17700km2	219km (136miles)	260m (850feet)	837km3	Largest lake in Europe.

See also

• List of lakes by volume
• List of lakes by depth
• List of largest lakes of Europe
• Recursive islands and lakes
• Aral Sea, formerly the third largest lake in the world, with an area of 68000-2NaN-2
• Lake Chad, formerly the eleventh largest lake in the world, with an area of 26000-2NaN-2
• Lake Urmia, formerly with an area of 5200-2NaN-2, but down to a tenth that size in 2017. It has since increased in area under a restoration project.
• List of largest lagoons
• List of largest lakes and seas in the Solar System

Notes and references

Note: Lake areas may slightly vary depending on the sources.

Notes

References

Further reading

• Largest lakes of the former USSR, Water Quality Assessment of the Former Soviet Union (1998). .
• North America: Physical features, The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge (2011). .

External links

• Web site: Large Lakes of the World . FactMonster . Pearson Education .

Notes and References

1. Encyclopedia: Historical Estimates of Limnicity . Likens. Gene E.. Encyclopedia of inland waters. 2009. Elsevier. Amsterdam. 978-0120884629. 1st. Table 1: The world's lakes >2000 km² in area, arranged in decreasing order of lake area. See also Lakes (Formation, Diversity, Distribution)
2. Book: Marsh, William M.. Martin M. Kaufman . Physical geography : great systems and global environments. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 978-0521764285. 399 . Table 16.2: Great lakes of the world by lake type. 30 April 2012.
3. Book: van der Leeden. Frits. Fred L.. Troise. David Keith. Todd. The water encyclopedia. 1991. Lewis. Chelsea, Mich.. 9780873711203. 198 - 200. 2nd.
4. Web site: Plume over the Caspian Sea . 16 April 2008 . NASA . 2010-11-29.
5. Web site: Caspian Sea . Britannica . 2010-11-29.
6. Web site: Endorheic Lakes . United Nations. 2010-11-29.
7. Web site: DuMont . H.J. . The Caspian Lake: History, biota, structure, and function . American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. 2010-11-29.
8. Planet Earth And the New Geoscience (2003:154). Victor Schmidt, William Harbert, University of Pittsburgh
9. David Lees in Canadian Geographic writes, "Contrary to popular belief, the largest lake in the world is not Lake Superior but mighty Lake Michigan–Huron, which is a single hydrological unit linked at the Straits of Mackinac." Lees, David. "High and Dry" Canadian Geographic (May/June 2004) pp.94-108.
10. "Lakes Michigan and Huron are considered to be one lake hydraulically because of their connection through the deep Straits of Mackinac." Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Great Lakes Sensitivity to Climatic Forcing: Hydrological Models ." NOAA, 2006.
11. "Lakes Michigan and Huron are considered to be one lake, as they rise and fall together due to their union at the Straits of Mackinac." U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, "Hydrological Components" Record Low Water Levels Expected on Lake Superior . August 2007. p.6
12. Web site: Great Lakes Map . . 20 September 2012.
13. Web site: Largest Lake in the World . geology.com . 28 September 2012.
14. Web site: Great Lakes: Basic Information: Physical Facts . https://web.archive.org/web/20120529233616/http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/physfacts.html . 2012-05-29 . November 9, 2011 . May 25, 2011 . United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
15. Web site: WorldAtlas.com: Lake Victoria . 18 November 2015.
16. Web site: Manitoulin Island website . 23 November 2014.
17. Web site: 2023-01-23. Physical Features of the Great Lakes . 2023-06-02. www.epa.gov. en.
18. Web site: Lake Tanganyika at Encyclopædia Britannica . 23 November 2014.
19. Web site: Lake Baikal, World's Largest Freshwater Body . . 9 September 2014 . 23 November 2014.
20. Web site: Plate 18. Large Lakes. Natural Resources Canada. 12 September 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131120042558/http://ftp2.ctis.nrcan.gc.ca/pub/geott/atlas/archives/english/hydrological_atlas_1978/water_quantity_temperature_winds/18_Large_Lakes_1978_150.pdf. 20 November 2013.
21. Web site: Protected Areas Programme . 2008-06-26 . October 1995 . United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, UNESCO . https://web.archive.org/web/20080511101010/http://www.unep-wcmc.org/protected_areas/data/wh/lakemal.html . 2008-05-11 . dead .
22. Web site: WorldAtlas.com: Great Slave Lake . 23 November 2014.
23. Web site: Freshwater Ecoregions of the World: Lake Ladoga . 23 November 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170116170216/http://www.feow.org/ecoregions/details/Lake_Onega_Lake_Ladoga . 16 January 2017 . dead .
24. Web site: Omo Valley in Ethiopia, Lake Turkana . 23 November 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141031195526/http://www.omovalley.com/Lake-Turkana-in-Kenya-it-is-the-worlds-largest-desert-alkali-lake.php . 31 October 2014 .
25. Web site: Major Lakes . 9 Oct 2023.
26. Web site: Lakes on Islands . 23 November 2014.
27. Web site: Largest Lakes (Area). LakeNet. 3 March 2013.
28. Web site: Plate 18. Large Lakes. Natural Resources Canada. 12 September 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131120042558/http://ftp2.ctis.nrcan.gc.ca/pub/geott/atlas/archives/english/hydrological_atlas_1978/water_quantity_temperature_winds/18_Large_Lakes_1978_150.pdf. 20 November 2013.